I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on Sunday, May 24th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic.
Last Sunday (May 17th 2020) morning started on the rocky side. First the video connection to the morning Bible class was just not working. This was due to the number of churches trying to use ZOOM at the same time. After the class and double checking the video stream for the worship service was good. I finally sat down on my couch with a cup of coffee.
Listening to the singing I noticed our communion table was empty at the building. At first I found this kind of sad. Normal our table would have our plates with the bread and trays with our cups containing the fruit of the vine.
About the time Habtu began the communion service a thought struck me. That table is empty but the tables at our homes were full. We had all those elements with us. We were taking communion at our homes with thousands if not millions of other sisters and brothers in Christ.
Later another thought came to me. The table at my church’s building was empty on my tv screen but the TABLE of the LORD was full! The LORD’s Table is never empty. All have been invited. It is the place we as believers gather to remember. We remember the birth, life, teachings, miracles, example, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. We don’t remember on our own, we remember together. It is a communal remembrance. That is why Paul was so angry with some of the Corinthians because they had forgotten to remember together!
Throughout Sunday the Body of Christ was meeting and crashing ZOOM. The Body of Christ was also meeting and taking the Lord’s Supper! As the earth spins and church services begin in different parts of our world individual members of the Body of Christ take the Lord’s Supper together. Separately together we remembered as one.
This coming Sunday if you are by yourself during Communion you are not alone! We are all remembering with you. We are all praying with you. We are all singing with you. We are all together in spirit if we aren’t together in body. Our tables are together and are a representation of the LORD’s Table.
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